Road-scraper-adjusting mechanism



Sept. 29, 1925. 1,555,551

v D. E. BURNS ROAD SCRAPER AJADJUSTI'NG MCHANISM Filed Jan. es,A 1925 23 ,e 22 /17 1a K 2 29 nnmiiiig 5 si @o Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

DAVID E. BURNS, OF GRAND RAPIDS," MICHIGAN.

ROAD-SCRAPER-ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

Application filed January 6, 1925.

To all fr0/0m t may concer/n.:

Be it known that l, DAVID E. BURNS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Scraper-Adjusting Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a road scraper and is more particularly concernedV with a novel mechanism by means of which the scraper blade carried below the chassis frame of a motor vehicle, may be adjusted to different positions, either in position for operation on the road surface or in position wherein it is moved away from the road surface and has no action thereon. rlhe invention comprises many novel details of construction and arrangement of parts for the elfective attainment of this adjustability of the scraper blade and the production of a simple yet very efficient means of this character which may be operated by the driver of the vehicle without his leaving his seat, and which automatically acts to positively hold the scraper in any position to which it may be adjusted.

For an understanding` of the invention by means of which these ends are attained, as well as many others not at this time specifically stated, reference may be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

F ig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a motor truck equipped with the scraper and showing my novel construction of adjusting mechanism therefor.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation and partial section, the main elements of the adjusting mechanism being shown in side elevation and enlarged.

Fig. 3 is4 a fragmentary plan and partial horizontal section of the front portion of said adjusting mechanism, and

Fig. t is a fragmentary perspective view showing the elements used at the rear portion of said adjusting mechanism where the same connect with a rock shaft on which the scraper blade is mounted.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

Serial No. 774.

The motor truck, indicated at 1, may be of any lconstruction including the usual chassis side frame members 2. The scraper is mounted below the chassis frame and includes in its construction an upper bar or heavy plank 3 connected to attaching brackets l which, in turn, are bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the motor vehicle vframe members 2. In practice the bar or plank 3 is located horizontally and diagonally across the chassis frame. From theY plank 3 a plurality of posts 5 extend downwardly, on each of which a suitable sleeve or fitting 6 is adjustably mounted, a rock shaft 7 extending through and being rotatably carried by all of the fittings 6, as shown. The scraper blade 8 is carried by springs 9 which in turn are connected with the rock shaft, in accordance with my former Patent No. 1,429,125, issued September 12, 1922.

The shaft 7 is designed to be rocked to different positions so asto `elevate the blade 8 above the road surface, or bring it downwardly into contact with said road'Y surface. In practice an arm 10 is secured tothe shaft 7 substantiallyk midway between its ends, a suitable clamping device indicated at 11 bcing used to` rigidly .yet adjustably connect the arm to the rock shaft. The arm 10 eX- tends forward from the rock shaft and at its front end is provided with a laterally extending pin 12 designed to pass through an opening at one end of a link 13, the opposite end of the link likewise being equipped with a second laterally extending pin 14e Which'may be passed through any one of a number of openings 15 made in the rear end of a lever `16. Afterthe pins 12 and 13 have been passed through the desired openings cotter pins are passed through said pins 12 and 1/1` near their free ends in the usual manner so as to hold the parts from disengagement. The lever 16 is formed at its rear end with a plurality of openings 15 in order that one lever 16 only need be made for the different sizes or makes of trucks on which the scraper is to be installed, any portion projecting beyond the ydesired opening in which the pin 14; is placed being cut from the lever in the particular' installation.

On one of the chassis frame members 2, preferably` the one at the left of the truck, a bracket 17 is rigidly secured in front of the scraper, from which bracket a lug 18 eX- tends downwardly. This lug ris located in a plane at an ang'le lto the length of the motor vehicle inasmuch as the lever 16 extends from a point underneath the vehicle outwardly and forwardly so that its front end is outside of the chassis frame. The lug 18 thus lie-s alongside of the lever 16 and said lever is pivotally connected to said lug between its ends as indicated at 19. The front end of the lever, projecting outwardly beyond the chassis frame, is formed with a yoke 20, in the sides of which slots 21 are cut for a purpose which will later appear.

A bracket 22 is permanently connected to the left chassis frame member 2 adjacent the front end of the lever 16. This bracket, at its upper portion, is formed with an outturned gear 23 and has a downward extension 24 "which at its lower end is formed with an out-turned ear 25 directly below the upper ear 23. A screw threaded shaft 26 is rotatably mounted between the upper and lower ears 23 and 25. An upper extension 27 of less diameter is made to the shaft 26, it extending upwardly for a distance, and at its upper end being equipped with a hand wheel 28 located in convenient position so that it is readily accessible to the driver of the vehicle. A nut 29 is located between the ears 23 and 25, the threaded shaft 26 passing through the same. This nut is between the sides of the yoke 20 at the front end of the lever 16 and has oppositely extending pins which are received in the slots 21 previously described.

It is evident that by turning the hand wheel 28 the threaded shaft 26 is rotated and this rotation may be in either direction. The nut 29 held between the sides of the yoke 20 cannot rotate.' Accordingly, the rotation of the shaft 26 serves to either raise or lower nut 29? with a consequent elevation or depression of the front end of lever 16 and a corresponding depression or elevation of the rear end of said lever. This rocks the shaft 7 through the connections made be tween the rear end of the lever and the rock shaft so that the scraper blade may be moved either to inoperative or operative position. The latter position of the scraper blade is shown in 2, but `by turning the shaft 26 so that nut 29 is raised thereon the scraper blade may be turned to an upper inoperative position, as is obvious.

This construction consists of but few parts and is very effective and practical in use. The nut 29 stays in any position to which it may be adjusted on the threaded shaft 26, serving as a positive lock or holding means to hold the scraper blade against the road -surface when it is in operative position. The hand wheel 28 is conveniently'located for the driver and he can raise or lower the blade at will whenever desired. This construction has been thoroughly tested and proven. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered as comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vehicle having a fram?, a rock shaft located below the frame and mounted for rocking movements, an arm extending substantially horizontally from the rock shaft, a vertical link attached to the arm, a scraper blade carried by said shaft, a vertically positioned screw threaded shaft mounted for rotation on the frame in front of the rock shaft, and means operated by the rotation of the screw threaded shaft connected with said link to move the salne upwardly or downwardly whereby said rock shaft may be turned, said rock shaft being turned in opposite dirzctions on opposite rotations of the threaded shaft.

2. In combination with a vehicle having a frame, a rock shaft located below the frame and mounted for rocking movements, a scraper blade carried by said shaft, a screw threaded shaft mounted for rotation on the frame, a nut through which said screw threaded shaft passes, and means connected with the rock shaft and operated by said nut as it traverses the screw threaded shaft on rotation thereof for turning the rock shaft, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a vehicle having a frame, a rock shaft located below the frame and mounted for rocking movements, a scraper blade carried by said shaft, a screw threaded shaft mounted for rotation on the frame, a nut through which said screw threaded shaft passes, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on the frame, said nut being connected to one end of the lever and held from rotation thereby, and means connecting the opposite end of the lever with the rock shaft whereby said rock shaft is turned on movement of thev lever about its pivot.

4. In combination with a vehicle having a frame, a rock shaft located below the frame and mounted for rocking movements, a scraper blade carried by said shaft, an arm extending from the shaft, a link connected with the free end of the arm, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on the frame .and connected at one end with said link, a nut connected with the opposite end of the lever, a screw threaded shaft rotatably mounted on the frame and passing throughsaid nut, said screw threaded shaft being manually operated, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a vehicle having a frame, a rock shaft lo'catd below the frame and mounted for rocking movements, a scraper blade carried by Vsaid shaft, an arm extending from the shaft, a link pivotally connected with the free end of the arm, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on the frame and pivotally connected at one end with said link, said levr at its opposite end being formed with a yoke having spaced apart sides, each of said sides having a slot therethrough, a nut located between the vsides of the yoke, pins attached to the nut at opposite sides and extending through said slots in the sides of the yoke, and a manually operable screw threaded shaft mounted for rotation on the frame and passing through said nut.

6. In combination with a vehicle having a frame, a rock shaft located below he frame substantially in a horizontal plane and diagonally across. the frame, a lever located blow the frame in a plane substantially at right angles to the length of the rock shaft, a support attached to the frame to which said lever is pivotally mounted between its ends, one end of the lever extend` ing outwardly beyond a side of the frame, a scraper blade carried by the rock shaft, a bracket attached to a side of the frame adj acent the outwardly extending end of the lever, a shaft rotatably mounted on said bracket in substantially vertical position, means connecting said last mentioned shaft and the end of the lever whereby on rotation of the shaft the lever is turned about its pivot, and means connecting the opposite end of the lever with the rock shaft whereby on pivotal movement of the lever the rock shaft is rocked.

mentioned shaft whereby the rock shaft is rocked on rotation of said second mentioned shaft. t

8. In combination with a vehicle having a frame, a rock shaft located below the frame and mounted for rocking movements, a scraper blade carried by said shaft, a vertically positioned shaft mounted for rotation on the frame a distance from the rock shaft, a laver pivotally mounted between its ends and carried by the frame, connections between one end of the lever and the second mentioned shaft whereby the lever is turned on its pivot on rotation of said shaft, an arm extending from the rock shaft, a link pivotally connected to the free end of the arm, said link at its free end being provided with a laterally extending pin, and the other end of the lever being provided with a plurality of openings all of a size to receive said pin, substantially as and for the pur! poses described.

In testimony whereof I afi-ix my signature.

DAVID E. BURNS. 

